Cleaning Unit For Suction Head

Abstract

A cleaning unit comprises a rotating brush configured to be removably mounted in a suction chamber of a suction head, and a closing cap configured to close a passage opening provided on the suction head and through which the rotating brush is adapted to be removed from the suction chamber. The closing cap includes a cap body; a locking member movable between locking and unlocking positions; and a gripping member configured to displace the locking member from the locking position to the unlocking position and to move axially away from the cap body upon a displacement of the gripping member from a first position to a second position.

1 . A cleaning unit for a suction head, comprising:
 a rotating brush rotatably movable about an axis of rotation and configured to be removably mounted in a suction chamber delimited by a main body of the suction head, and   a closing cap configured to at least partially close a passage opening defined by the main body and through which the rotating brush is adapted to be introduced into the suction chamber and removed from the suction chamber, the rotating brush being rotatable relative to the closing cap, the closing cap including:   a cap body,   a lock configured to lock the cap body on the main body, the lock including at least one locking member which is movable relative to the cap body between a locking position in which the at least one locking member is configured to cooperate with at least one locking element provided on the main body so as to prevent a removal of the rotating brush from the suction chamber and an unlocking position in which the at least one locking member is configured to release the at least one locking element so as to allow a removal of the rotating brush from the suction chamber, and   a gripping member configured to be grasped by a user, the gripping member being movably mounted relative to the cap body between a first position and a second position, the gripping member and the at least one locking member being configured such that a displacement of the gripping member from the first position to the second position causes a displacement of the at least one locking member from the locking position to the unlocking position,   wherein the gripping member is movably mounted relative to the cap body according to a displacement movement comprising at least one displacement component extending substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating brush, and wherein the gripping member is configured to move axially away from the cap body during a displacement of the gripping member from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the gripping member is configured to extend axially beyond the cap body when the gripping member occupies the second position. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking member is movable relative to the cap body in a locking/unlocking movement which is distinct from the displacement movement of the gripping member relative to the cap body. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the locking/unlocking movement of the locking member relative to the cap body comprises at least one radial displacement component. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the displacement movement of the gripping member relative to the cap body further comprises a rotation component about the axis of rotation of the rotating brush. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the displacement movement of the gripping member relative to the cap body is substantially helical about the axis of rotation of the rotating brush. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure cap includes a guide device configured to guide the gripping member relative to the cap body in a displacement movement which is substantially helical during a displacement of the gripping member between the first position and the second position, the guide device including at least one guide element provided on the gripping member and at least one guide member provided on the cap body and configured to cooperate with the at least one guide element. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 7 , wherein one of the at least one guide member and the at least one guide element is a guide groove, and the other of the at least one guide member and the at least one guide element is a guide lug slidably mounted in the guide groove. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock includes a drive part movably mounted in rotation relative to the cap body about a drive axis which is substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the rotating brush, the gripping member being configured to rotatably drive the drive part about the drive axis and in an unlocking direction when the gripping member is displaced from the first position to the second position, and the at least one locking member being fixed to the drive part and being configured to be displaced from the locking position to the unlocking position when the drive part is rotatably driven about the drive axis and in the unlocking direction. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the gripping member includes a gripping part configured to be grasped by a user, and an actuating part which is rotatably coupled to the drive part and which is configured to rotatably drive the drive part about the drive axis when the gripping member is displaced between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 10 , wherein the closure cap includes a guide device configured to guide the gripping member relative to the cap body in a displacement movement which is substantially helical during a displacement of the gripping member between the first position and the second position, the guide device including at least one guide element provided on the gripping member and at least one guide member provided on the cap body and configured to cooperate with the at least one guide element, and wherein the at least one guide element is provided on the actuating part. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 10 , wherein the actuating part includes at least one actuating tab extending substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating brush and being offset relative to the axis of rotation, the at least one actuating tab extending through an orifice provided on the drive part. 
     
     
         13 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking member and the gripping member are distinct from each other. 
     
     
         14 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking member is elastically deformable. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one locking member is configured to be elastically compressed when the at least one locking member is displaced to the unlocking position and to elastically relax toward the locking position when the at least one locking member occupies the unlocking position. 
     
     
         16 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 15 , wherein the cap body includes at least one deformation surface configured to elastically deform the at least one locking member when the at least one locking member is displaced to the unlocking position. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 14 , wherein, when the at least one locking member occupies the unlocking position, the at least one locking member is configured to elastically bias the gripping member towards the first position. 
     
     
         18 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking member is configured to protrude from an external periphery of the cap body when the at least one locking member occupies the locking position. 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock includes several locking members which are distributed about the axis of rotation of the rotating brush. 
     
     
         20 . A suction head comprising:
 a main body including a suction chamber extending into a lower face of the main body which is configured to be oriented towards a surface to be cleaned, a passage opening extending into the suction chamber, and at least one locking element, and   a cleaning unit according to  claim 1 , the rotating brush being removably mounted in the suction chamber and configured to be inserted into and removed from the suction chamber via the passage opening, the closing cap at least partially closing the passage opening and the at least one locking member cooperating with the at least one locking element.